A/N: I'm back with another DEmily one-shot! I watched 'Epilogue', and just could not STAND all the moments in it! Of course, Rossi made me cry the most. But I was really hit by the revelations of Emily and Reid.

This takes place directly after that episode, and is based on Emily's words:

"Reid felt a warmth and saw a light. When I coded in the ambulance, all I felt was cold and darkness. And I would like to think that there is a different future waiting for me."

Many thanks to my beta for the help! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Criminal Minds.

"You actually died?"

Emily Prentiss walked into her dark, empty apartment with those words echoing in her head. She threw her keys into the small metal dish on the table near the door, the clang of metal on metal startling her slightly.

She walked to her kitchen and flicked on the light, flooding the small apartment with the fluorescent sheen of the overhead light bulb.

Grabbing a water glass from her cabinet she filled it with cold tap water, she took a few drinks before dumping the rest down the sink, hearing the drain gurgle as the liquid flowed down it. Deciding she didn't want to eat anything, she walked down the short hallway to her bedroom, where she changed from her work clothes to a comfortable pair of black yoga pants and a simple white v-neck, her feet bare.

She padded back into the kitchen, deciding maybe tea would help clear her cluttered head. She set a kettle of water on to boil, and leaned back against the counter, rubbing her eyes with her palms. She felt so exhausted; but the case was done, and maybe she would be able to sleep tonight.

But considering she never slept, that was debatable.

"You actually died?"

The look in Reid's eyes shook her still, but she hoped that maybe now they could move forward, a little bit- to re-strengthen their friendship to what it had been before she'd disappeared. Things had been moving forward- maybe this was what they needed to get completely back to normal.

What was affecting her the most, though, was that she couldn't get Derek's eyes out of her head- the look on his face as her words had hit him. She swallowed, closing her eyes briefly. As more and more details of the events surrounding her disappearance surfaced, she realized she was hurting him more and more- and she didn't want that. She hated hurting Derek; she didn't want to hurt him, not at all.

She was pulled from her thoughts by a knock at her door, and she sighed, running a hand through her loose brunette waves as she walked to the door.

She wasn't expecting to see Derek Morgan standing at her doorstep, his hands thrust deep into his jacket pockets and his shoulders hunched, as though bearing the mighty weight of Atlas.

"Derek, what are you…"

"You never told me," he said, his voice slightly hoarse. "You never…Em, why wouldn't you tell me that?"

She swallowed, and silently she let him into her apartment, shutting the door without a sound behind her as she turned, looking at him as she leaned against the solidity of the wooden door. His eyes were large and dark, sucking her in as he stared at her, needing an answer that she wasn't quite sure that she'd be able to give him.

She didn't know if she'd ever have an answer for anyone.

"Derek, I…" she started, but her throat closed up and she looked away, unable to say any more as tears brimmed. She blinked, taking a deep breath and trying to calm down, but she couldn't, and she began to choke slightly on her tears, letting out a soft gasp that alerted Derek to her distress; his eyes raking over her as he tried to figure out what to do.

He stood in front of her, looking lost himself, and she couldn't help it- she stepped forward, needing his support. His arms found their way around her waist, and he tugged her against him, letting her nestle into his embrace.

Emily let the tears fall; they dripped into his neck, regret burning as the liquid hit his skin.

"Derek…" she said, her voice breaking as she clutched at his t-shirt, pulling back and looking at him with tear-filled eyes, liquid lines running down her face. "Derek, I'm so sorry."

"Shh, baby girl, shh," he whispered into her hair, closing his eyes as he held her close, feeling her sob in his arms. "It's gonna be alright, Emily. I've got you."

Emily's hand tightened in his shirt as she tried to compose herself; eventually, she pulled away slightly, tear tracks glistening on her cheeks in the low lighting. Derek reached one hand up and brushed a lone tear away, and Emily cast her gaze downward, her cheeks coloring. She disappeared and came back a few moments later with a tissue, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Em," Derek said, interrupting. She stopped, looking up, her eyes wide. "Don't apologize, please."

She nodded, swallowing as she played with the tissue in her hand. Taking a deep breath she shifted her weight and looked at Derek, her hair slipping over her eyes as she studied him.

"I don't have an answer for you, Derek," she said, pushing her hair back behind her ears and folding her arms, looking at him slightly sideways. "I haven't told anyone about that experience- even Hotch and JJ don't know. I just…I was surrounded by darkness, and there was no light. I was cold, and I couldn't find my way out. Then, there was a tiny pinprick of light, and I was back."

There was silence as Derek processed, and then he cleared his throat, looking up at her with unreadable eyes.

"You actually left this earth, Em," he said, his voice going hoarse. "I was actually physically on this earth without you."

Emily swallowed at the pain that shadowed his voice, and rubbed the back of her neck, looking at her toes.

"It's different than when I thought you were dead," he said, looking at her with dark eyes. "It just feels different."

Emily didn't know what to say. She thought that maybe if she let Derek get everything out, it would be easier to talk about it.

"I don't want to live without you, Emily," he said, and her eyes widened.

She certainly hadn't been expecting that.

"Derek, you don't have to," she said softly, but he shook his head, stepping closer to her, invading her personal space.

"Not like this, Emily. I want more," he said, brushing her hair back behind her ear letting his hands linger, fingertips brushing her cheekbone. She melted into the touch, her eyes closing as a contented sigh left her lips. "I want you, Em."

Her eyes opened back up and she bit her lip, looking at Derek through heavy lashes. He was so ruggedly handsome her stomach did flip flops, and her breath caught in her throat at the thought of this man being hers. She swallowed, and she watched as his eyes followed the movement of her throat.

Before she could respond he was kissing her, and she was responding in kind, her arms around his neck as his hands fell to her hips, pulling her against him. His mouth was warm and soft, and her heart was hammering against her ribs- she was sure he could feel it as he pressed her body to his.

Only when her chest felt like it was absolutely going to explode from lack of oxygen did she pull her mouth from his, their lips clinging to each other's as the kiss ended. She looked up into his darkened eyes, a shiver running down her back.

"I thought about you," she whispered, her voice filling the space between and around them with the words. "When I was coding. You were on my mind. You were that pinprick of light, Derek. You were what brought me back. You stopped the darkness."

"I'll always stop the darkness for you, Em," Derek said quietly, his lips brushing her forehead as he hugged her close. "I will always be your light. Always."

Emily pulled back and locked eyes with him, reading the meaning in his irises. Leaning forward she pressed a soft, innocent kiss to his mouth, closing her eyes at the sensations that rippled through her.

They were quiet, standing together in the middle of her front entry, and Emily felt at peace for the first time since she'd arrived back at the BAU. She looked at Derek, and she knew she was home.

"I was going to make some dinner. Do you want to join me?" she asked, offering her hand as she headed towards her small kitchen. He knotted his fingers with hers and walked with her, pulling her back against him once they reached the doorway and pressing a soft kiss to her neck, reveling in her low moan of contentment.

"What's on the menu?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "Aside from you, that is."

"Funny, Derek," she said, rolling her eyes as she elbowed him in the ribs. "I'm thinking burgers."

"I like the sound of that," he replied, and she sent him a grin.

"Grill's in the top right cabinet," she said, watching as he went to retrieve the appliance.

And amidst the darkness of her life, shone a light- in the form of Derek Morgan.